Dr. William Li – Foods to Fight Cancer

Dr. William Li is a physician, scientist and author who strongly believes that eating certain foods can help to prevent and even heal cancer naturally. But which foods does he recommend that we eat to help combat and fight cancer?

The world-renowned doctor is known for being a strong advocate of nutrition being used to help to prevent and cure chronic illnesses and disease.

Through his life’s work and research, he has found that cancer can be prevented and healed through healthy dietary choices. He places great importance on the food choices we make. He says: “The key to the future of cancer prevention and treatment is not just in pharmaceuticals but also in the food we eat.”

While Dr. Li recommends everyone eats a healthy wholefood diet consisting of seafood, fruit, vegetables, nuts and healthy grains for overall health and wellbeing, he believes there are certain foods that specifically prevent and fight cancer. He states: “Anti-angiogenic foods are those that can disrupt the blood supply to tumors, and they include things like turmeric, blueberries, and dark chocolate.”

He continues: “Many foods have powerful bioactive compounds that can impact the biological processes involved in cancer, such as angiogenesis. This means eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and spices can be a crucial part of cancer prevention.”

Foods to Fight Cancer

In his book, Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself, and a variety of talks and interviews, Dr. William Li has recommended an array of healthy foods that can be eaten to naturally combat cancer.

The physician believes there are dozens of different foods that can help to stop cancer cells from growing. He says: “There are more than a hundred different foods that have been studied—I’ve studied almost all of them—that can enhance your body’s ability to cut off the blood supply that might be feeding cancer, so you keep your good healthy circulation and prevent the extra blood vessels from feeding cancers.”

What are these foods and how do they help to prevent and heal cancer?

Tomatoes

One of the first foods Dr. William Li recommends to both fight and heal cancer is tomatoes due to them containing lycopene.

He says: “Tomatoes contain a bioactive natural chemical called lycopene, and clinical studies have shown that tomatoes can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer requires a blood vessel blood supply in order to grow to become a problem. Men who eat two to three servings of cooked tomatoes or tomato sauce two to three times a week actually have a 30% lower risk of developing prostate cancer. Why? Because the bioactive in tomato sauce prevents the blood tumors from recruiting those blood vessels.”

He continues: “Now, men that do develop prostate cancers, the more tomato sauce you eat, the less aggressive the prostate cancer actually is. So, this has been studied, by the way, in 30,000 men. This is like a human study, not just a theoretical study.”

Cacao

Cacao is high in flavonoids, particularly epicatechin, which are potent antioxidants. These antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, reducing oxidative stress that can damage cells and contribute to cancer development.

When discussing Cacao, Dr. Li says: “We actually found that it kills leukaemia cells and lymphoma cells. So dark chocolate also cuts off the blood supply feeding cancer.”

Dr. Li recommends consuming dark chocolate with high cacao content (70% or higher) to maximize the intake of beneficial flavonoids. He suggests including such foods in a balanced diet rather than relying on them solely for cancer prevention.

Green Tea

Catechins in green tea help to neutralize free radicals in the body. Free radicals can cause damage to cells and DNA, potentially leading to cancer.

Dr. William Li drinks multiple cups of green tea every day. He explains how drinking it can prevent cancer cells from growing: “Drinking green tea regularly can provide your body with antioxidants that not only combat free radicals but also have the potential to inhibit the development of new blood vessels that tumors need to thrive.”

He continues: “The catechins in green tea, such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), have been linked to the inhibition of angiogenesis. This means that green tea may help prevent tumors from forming the blood vessels they need to grow.”

“I had a great uncle that lived to 104, and he lived at the base of a tea mountain. And every single day he drank like six cups of green tea and stayed very physically active, walking up the hills and trails as well. Green tea has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Why? Because the polyphenols in green tea cut off the blood supply feeding cancers.”

Blueberries

Numerous studies suggest that the consumption of blueberries may be linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer, colorectal and prostate cancer. Blueberries contain a type of antioxidant called anthocyanins which neutralize free radicals that can cause cancer.

Dr. William Li suggest adding blueberries to your diet. He says: “One of the things that I’ve been studying is how much you need to eat in order to get benefits. Blueberries are anti-angiogenic. I had some this morning for breakfast. Some of my favorites—I love blueberries. The color in blueberries is called anthocyanins. One cup a week has been shown in human studies to fight breast cancer. It also boosts your immune system.”

Walnuts

A nut that can help to prevent and heal cancer is walnuts. The omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols in walnuts have anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce chronic inflammation, which is associated with cancer development and progression.

Dr. William Li believes adding walnuts to your daily intake is easy and you don’t need to eat many per day to reap the health benefits. He says: “Walnuts have been shown to help improve outcomes for colon cancer. You’re fighting colon cancer. How do you actually lower, how do you improve your odds, how do you fight colon cancer better? Nuts contain fiber, which feeds your gut microbiome and is also anti-angiogenic. Turns out you need only 11 walnuts per week—22 halves of walnuts. So, think about that. You’re watching Netflix and you’re snacking on walnuts. If you have 22 of them over the course of a week, that’s easy to do. That’s, you know, just three of them a day, three halves a day. That actually is a dose that’s been shown effective through studies, human studies, for colon cancer.”

Unprocessed Soy

Dr. Li recommends eating unprocessed soy if you are at risk or have breast cancer. Soy contains Isoflavones and is anti-angiogenic and can starve cancer cells.

He says: “If you’ve got breast cancer or you’re at risk for breast cancer, the more soy you eat, the lower your risk is, the better your survival.”

Dr. William Li explains how soy has been misinterpreted in the past: “Another anti-angiogenic cancer-starving food is soy. Now, there’s an urban legend that soy actually causes breast cancer or is a risk. That’s completely wrong. Urban legend. Soy contains phytosterols, which does have a plant estrogen, which looks nothing like human estrogen. It blocks human estrogen. It’s like Mother Nature’s stoopin. And studies have shown that eating soy lowers the risk of the danger of breast cancer and, in fact, it improves survival in women who actually have breast cancer.”

Dr. William Li’s List of Foods to Fight Cancer

Dr. William Li recommends removing all processed foods from your diet to prevent and heal cancer. Research on the following foods suggest they have anti-cancer properties:

Tomatoes: Rich in lycopene, which may help inhibit the growth of cancerous cells.
Grapes: Contain compounds like resveratrol that can interfere with tumor growth.
Apples: Contain compounds that may help inhibit the formation of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow.
Blueberries: Rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals that support cellular health and may inhibit cancer growth.
Strawberries: Contain ellagic acid, which has been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth.
Broccoli: Rich in sulforaphane which may help detoxify carcinogens and inhibit cancer cell growth.
Brussels Sprouts: Rich in similar compounds as broccoli, with potential anti-cancer effects.
Garlic: Contains allicin, which has been shown to have potential anti-cancer effects.
Spinach: Rich in antioxidants and compounds that may help protect against cancer.
Green Tea: Contains catechins that may help prevent angiogenesis.
Turmeric: Contains curcumin, known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
Cacao/Dark Chocolate: Contains flavonoids that have been linked to cancer-fighting properties. (Eat in moderation)
Nuts: Such as walnuts and almonds, which provide beneficial fats and antioxidants.
Flaxseeds: Rich in lignans and omega-3 fatty acids, which may offer protective benefits against cancer.
Unprocessed Soy: Contains compounds called isoflavones, which are thought to have anti-cancer properties.

It is important that these foods are part of a balanced diet that supports overall health and may help in reducing cancer risk or supporting cancer treatment.